I don’t agree with everything that John Piper has written, but it seems as if every time he speaks amazing things come out of his mouth…
This sermon, Imparting a Passion: A Challenge to Youth Workers, is extremely challenging. I’ve been reading “Speaking to Teenagers” by Doug Fields and Duffy Robbins, which has been helpful, but at the moment, I’m only halfway through with Piper’s sermon and have learned about 7 times as much as I have from that book. No offense to those guys, but everything they suggest means absolutely nothing if scripture is not at your heart and the heart of your ministry and the heart of what you say to your teenagers and the heart of everything that you do.
He talks about Luke 9:57-62
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
And his comments are “This is not boring, this is crazy!”
The message of the kingdom of heaven is crazy. It’s foolishness. It’s dangerous. It’s life-risking. It’s incredibly different than any way that we would choose to follow on our own. It’s most definitely not boring. Thats the message that I want the youth at Thompson First Baptist to get from everything that we do.
i'm still thinkin 
I’ve heard of the book and enjoy reading Piper as well!
Never heard him speak though. Thanks for the link, i’ll have to check out the talk sometime.
I’ve really felt in the last few months that it’s not so much about teaching behavior modification etc… it’s more about connecting people to a cause. When they have a mission and are passionate about their cause, everything will change! And as you said our cause is an adventure and not safe at all!
helo it’s wonderfull hearing from you people,i’m the youth laeder of my local church and will raelly like to keep informed with strategies to minister effectively to the youths of our nation cameroon.THANKS
It’s very wonderfull getting in contact with you people,as a youth leader in my local church i wish to seek for support or more information on how to lead the youths purposefully and to also be effective in ministry.thanks